Workforce Snapshot
Wayne County’s location in the northeast corner of the Commonwealth puts us at the leading edge of expansion from the NY/NJ metro areas, and provides the basis for an increasing labor supply with a commuting pattern that favors local development. The labor supply in the four-county NEPA region of Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Lackawanna Counties continues to grow within the Commonwealth.
Although over three thousand (3,000) workers are being added to the NEPA regional labor supply annually, this constitutes only a portion of labor that is available when we look at commuting patterns. The last census shows that neighboring Pike County is one of the fastest-growing county in PA with an average commute of 46 minutes, almost double the U.S. average commuting time. In the NEPA region, nearly 25,000 workers indicted they were employed either outside their county or outside the Commonwealth. Therefore, we have a supply of labor that would prefer local employment, thereby reducing commuting time and resulting in an increased quality of life. Moreover, when the labor force from nearby Sullivan and Orange Counties, NY, and Sussex County, NJ, is factored in, the available employment base rises to over 500,000.
The region’s colleges and universities also do their part. With approximately 6500 graduates each year, the labor supply is constantly rejuvenated with trained and talented individuals.